Saw the rest of Rescue Me and that's kind of what I expected but now HOW I expected it, you know?

I ended up having to do some work, so I only really saw the beginning of the first new Closer. But one almost throwaway scene got me thinking about how well fleshed out some of the characters are - when Sanchez comes back with the blood test results and announces that Brenda owes him $150 for the rush order. Fine, but then a minute or so later it's made clear that he didn't know about the budget cuts. So she sent him off and had him pay for the expedited tests - and he didn't even ask, or apparently even wonder.

Which he totally wouldn't. And I got thinking about the other characters - Flynn and Provenza wouldn't ask either. They'd be shooting crazier and crazier ideas off of each other to try and account for it, though. Gabriel wouldn't ask, but he'd be working it, trying to figure it out, following the logic. Almost as if it were a test - which he'd be have convinced it was. Tao would probably just ask.

Daniels - here's where I have trouble. I don't have a great handle on her - sometimes it feels like she's there so it's not an all male squad. I do wish they do more with her (and Tao, to some extent). The others (and including Pope, Fritz, and Taylor) all have such distinct personalities.

sometimes it feels like she's there so it's not an all male squad.

I've only seen a few episodes of the first season and a few of the 2nd, but I feel exactly the same way. I suppose you don't want a TV show with only one female character, but I think without her you get a starker contrast between the one female Southern character and the rest, which is interesting to me.

I seem to remember from the first season that getting the squad to accept her was a big theme?

That was definitly the theme. Taylor didn't like her at all (I think he wanted her job) and then Flynn didn't like her either and worked with Taylor to try to sabatoge her. Up until the point an old case came back to haunt them, Flynn had mis identified a body ( I think) and Taylor went into CYA mode, Flynn had made the original mistake and Taylor was ready to throw him under the bus. Brenda grilled Flynn and then backed him. Which left Taylor with no allies.

Yeah, I think Daniels is the least well-characterized of the squad.

Oh, is Sanchez married? Because I cannot remember.

sumi, could you tell me what happens after Brenda opens the letter? She was just opening it when my DVR cut out.

Well, you know that Fritz opened it and took a look?

Then he handed it to Brenda and said, "Looks like he's forgiven you" - but we don't know what he's written.

Then he handed it to Brenda and said, "Looks like he's forgiven you" - but we don't know what he's written.

Thanks! It cut out as Fritz said this line, but I didn't know if anything happened after that.

I've only seen a few episodes of the first season and a few of the 2nd, but I feel exactly the same way.

Yeah. And there was some stuff the first season about a relationship with her and Gabriel, but there hasn’t been any discussion of that.

Taylor didn't like her at all (I think he wanted her job) and then Flynn didn't like her either and worked with Taylor to try to sabatoge her. Up until the point an old case came back to haunt them, Flynn had mis identified a body ( I think) and Taylor went into CYA mode, Flynn had made the original mistake and Taylor was ready to throw him under the bus. Brenda grilled Flynn and then backed him. Which left Taylor with no allies.

Actually, Taylor didn’t want her job, he was mad because she was a higher rank that he was. There was some LAPD rule that a newcomer comes in as an officer or a deputy chief, and Taylor’s a commander. He was pissed that she outranked him.

Anyone watching Burn Notice?